1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an envelope for holding various materials in a convenient and accessible manner. More particularly, this invention relates to an envelope of the dual compartment type for holding materials of a first kind in one compartment or pocket and materials of a second kind in the other compartment or pocket.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Physicians often use X-ray photographs to assist them in diagnosing and treating their patients. Such photographs are desirably retained in a convenient manner for record keeping purposes and for subsequent referral by the physician. In addition, various papers, charts, prescriptions, and other written memoranda accumulate regarding each of a physician's patients. The written materials relating to each patient should be stored in the same place as the X-ray photographs for that patient. Various types of dual compartment envelopes (i.e., envelopes having two pockets) have been proposed in the past for performing this function. Such envelopes store the X-ray photographs in one of the pockets thereof while the written materials are stored in the remaining pocket of the envelope.
One type of prior dual compartment envelope for use in storing the above-noted materials is that known as X-ray Envelope No. PCC6, manufactured by the Smead Manufacturing Company of Hastings, Minnesota, which company is also the assignee of the present invention. The PCC6 envelope generally contains two vertically extending pockets defined between a folded first sheet of stock material and an intermediate sheet of stock material placed between the panels of the folded first sheet. This envelope also contains various score lines adjacent the bottom fold and adjacent the sides of the envelope to allow the X-ray envelope to be expanded. Both of the pockets defined by the envelope are of substantially the same height. Thus, the entrance openings into the pockets are positioned proximately to one another.
Although the PCC6 envelope is quite effective for the purpose for which it was designed, the fact that both of the entrance openings to the pockets are positioned adjacent one another is disadvantageous. For example, if the person filing the X-ray photographs or other memoranda therein is not cautious, the possibility exists that these materials will be misfiled into the wrong pocket. In addition, the intermediate sheet does not extend to the bottom of the pockets but terminates some distance above the bottom. Thus, for extremely small memoranda, such memoranda could sometimes transfer from one pocket to the other by slipping underneath the intermediate sheet if the envelope were to be shaken or jarred. Such transfer between pockets will occur, however, only if the intermediate sheet which is normally adhesively secured to the back panel of the envelope should become detached from that panel.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,979,051 to Close depicts an alternative type of multi-compartment envelope. In the envelope defined by this patent, the inlet opening to one of the pockets is vertically offset from the inlet opening of the other pocket. THis was accomplished by forming the inlet opening to the first pocket from a transverse slot in the front panel. This slot communicates with the pocket defined between the front panel and the intermediate sheet. Although the inlet or entrance openings to the pockets were not directly contiguous to another in this type of envelope, such an arrangement had certain disadvantages. Among these was a tendency for the lateral sides of the slot to tear as papers or other memoranda were inserted into the first pocket. In addition, because the top of the slot was not open, it could be difficult to insert papers of approximately the same size of the slot into the pocket. Furthermore, the envelope defined by this patent was not designed to be expandable.